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We reminisce with Mohammad Johari (Jo, to all who know him) on the highlights, lowlights and challenges of his double tenure as Chairman (2012-2014) as well as the many years that he has served as a dedicated member of our 1BU Joint Management Committee. . . .
i-Care : Good day, Jo. Thanks for consenting to do this interview. Incidentally, this is i-Care’s second feature on you. In the August 2011 issue we gained fascinating insight into your personal life and career in the U.S. military, U.S. Air Force as well as postings all over the world. This time, let’s focus more on your involvement in the JMC. How long have you served as a committee member and as a Chairman?
Jo : Actually, I have been involved since before day one of the JMB/JMC. Before the JMB was formed we had the 1BU Resident’s Association and I was the Tenant’s Representative on that board. When the JMB was formed I was asked to run for a position on the JMC but I declined as I was not eligible because our purchase had not yet been completed. However, I volunteered to be a Block Representative, which is not a JMC member and has no voting privileges, but could serve as a project or subject area Champion.
Initially I became co-champion for reducing commons area electricity usage, an area I still monitor closely. Later I took on being champion for our security up-grade project, again, another area I still monitor very closely by making walkabouts several times a week checking to ensure our exit level emergency stairwell doors are secured and Security is doing their job. Yes, I am known for walkabouts even at 0300-0400 hours! To date I have served two terms as a committee member and three terms as the Chairman. I have stepped out of the “bull’s eye of the target” and now serve as the Vice Chairman. i-Care : That is indeed dedication! During this time, what are some of the highlights of holding office in the JMC?
Jo : It was always nice to hear comments that the JMC was doing a good job, especially when those comments come from some of our owners who have been very vocal critics in the past.
There have been many improvements over the years, some very visible, others more or less behind the scenes. It is always a team effort. To name some of them :
• we upgraded our recreational facilities (new lounges and sun screens at the pool, new picnic tables on the BBQ deck and at play grounds, and made the BBQ deck and swimming pool more accessible);
• we have been able to keep our commons area electrical costs in check up until this year although rates have increased and our occupancy rate went from about 65% to about 95% over the past 7 years;
• behind the scenes we have got a good handle on erosion control of most of our embankments;
• the pool pump room was relocated to eliminate noise transfer into residential units;
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Community Newsletter - 1 Bukit Utama Issue 10 : January 2015
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• the gym was relocated for the same reason;
• we have addressed structural seepage, although that will always be a recurring issue;
• most recently, we have started to implemented our commons area LED lighting conversion project which when fully completed should save us over RM100K annually.
Su Thai Seng, the Chairman of the first JMC, said one of our greatest challenges would be civilizing some of our residents. He was correct!
Happily, we have made good progress as the incidents of falling rubbish have decreased, as have the incidents of items being hung over balcony railings, and people bringing food and beverages other than plastic bottled water onto the pool deck.
Hopefully incidents of excessive speed within our parking levels, and not following traffic flow directions, i.e. using one-way entrances as exits will also come to a halt in the future.
i-Care : What about the lowlights? Do recount some incidents that have made you disappointed and/or disillusioned.
Jo : Actually, those were very limited. During the security upgrade program I strongly advocated the removal of the grilles in our perimeter wall and replacing the grilles with solid masonry fill. Those grilles could be used as easy access ladders for anyone wanting to get into or out of 1BU without going through our security checks at the guard house. The cost of that change would have been only RM25,000.
The JMC voted down that initiative twice, saying it would make the wall boring, etc. In the military we would call that “resistance to change”.
Fortunately, one of the JMC members recognized the danger those grilles presented and suggested a “green” alternative, the planting of bougainvillea in front of the grilles on the interior side of the wall. Great alternative, less expensive, and it beautified both sides of the wall while making the grilles significantly less attractive entry/exit points.
i-Care : What challenges did you encounter during your time in the JMC?
Jo : Probably the greatest challenge has been getting more owners to come forward and serve on the JMC, as a member or officer. I understand that most of our owners are employed or business owners. However, most of our JMC members are also employed or business owners yet they make time to serve and have served for as long as I have served. It seems it is always been that same pool of people.
Another challenge has been getting some owners to realize that communal living is not the same as living in a terrace house, semi-d, or bungalow. i-Care : What words of advice can you offer new volunteers who join as committee members?
Jo : Grow some very thick skin as you will never be able to please everyone and there will be times when verbal darts will be thrown at you. Maintain the policies and our rules, do not close one-eye or look the other way. If you make an exception, 585 other owners will demand the same treatment. No one is more “equal” than anyone else within 1BU regardless of whether they have a title, live in a penthouse unit, or their driver drives their Bentley! i-Care : Do you have a wish list with regards to enhancing the community spirit within 1BU?
Jo : Yes, we need more people, regardless of background or religion to participate in our multi-cultural holiday celebrations, to make 1BU into a true 1Malaysia community. i-Care : We salute you for your dedication to the position. Your attention to detail, without losing sight of the big picture, has helped ensure that the JMC makes informed decisions. You take great pains to patrol and check on security and structural defects, as well as keep a watchful eye on infringements of our house rules (Deed of Mutual Covenant). On many occasions you have performed your duties at your own expense.
Thank you, Jo for your selfless contribution to the betterment of 1BU.
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Mooncake FestivalMooncake FestivalMooncake FestivalMooncake Festival by Deirdre Graham (October 2014)
It is difficult to believe that I moved to KL only two months ago. Since arriving here I have settled very quickly and a lot of that can be attributed to the welcome I received from the friendly residents and staff at 1BU. From the guards who always greet me with a smile and a quick chat, to the shopkeeper who is keen to give me travel tips, I feel safe, secure and happy. The residents that I have met, either in the lift, the pool or around the complex have added to the welcoming and homely environment.
One of the highlights was the Mooncake Festival gathering, which enabled many of us new residents to meet those who have lived here for longer. The evening was informal, the food delicious and I came away with a strong sense of community. Thank you very much to those who organised the evening. I am looking forward to meeting more of you over the coming weeks, months and years and becoming more involved in the 1BU community.
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Annual General Meeting 2014 and
2nd Extraordinary General Meeting 2014
The second half of 2014 was a busy time with the AGM on 12
th October 2014 and the second EGM of the
year on 21st
December 2014. Both meetings were held in the Clubhouse.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) convened with 52 registered participants, deemed as quorum after waiting 30 minutes from the start of the meeting. The agenda covered :
1. Update on strata titles.
2. Discussion and adoption the audited Financial Statements.
3. Approval of conversion to LED for street and common area lighting.
4. Election of the next Joint Management Committee (JMC) of the Joint Management Body comprising Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and 7 committee members.
The following Joint Management Committee members were elected to office for the 2014-2015 term :
Position Name Champion of
Chairman Gan Ching Yik Overall
Deputy Chairman Mohammad Johari House rules, Carpark
Secretary Grace Ng Soo Weng Website, Newsletter, Google Groups
Treasurer Poh Kok Kian Finance
Committee Member Angie Yim Yoke Yee Landscaping
Committee Member Leong Fo Seong Security, Google Groups
Committee Member David Wong Chan Nam Pool and Barbeque Deck
Committee Member Iris Yoong Pooi Ying Housekeeping
Committee Member William Shak Hoon Kiong Maintenance and Engineering
Committee Member Tony Chew Soo Ton Tennis court, Gym
Committee Member Richard Ho Choon Keong
In contrast, there was a huge turnout at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) which saw 236 registered owners/proxies of owners. This was the result of support being drummed up beforehand, in an effort to ensure that owners were informed and involved in the decisions made during the meeting.
The agenda of the EGM was as follows:
1. Report of findings in investigation into delays in receiving strata titles.
2. Resolution to engage an experienced and reputable legal firm to represent the JMB in resolving all issues with the developer as to what constitutes common property, do whatever is necessary to expedite the receipt of our strata titles, and to contest the Developer in changing of the Master Land Title from Residential to Residential and Commercial.
3. Resolution to establish a special litigation account and fund by a special assessment of RM 150 per month per unit beginning 1 January 2015 for a period of one year.
Minutes of the AGM and EGM are available to owners from the 1BU website at http://www.1bukitutama.com. my/. Click on Owners � Minutes AGM/EGM and log in with your Username and Password. Username is the email id that you have registered with the Management Office. If you have forgotten your password, click on Lost Password? and an email will be sent to you with your password. You are encouraged to change your password periodically, especially if you have not done so from the initial password set for you.
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More photos are available from the 1BU website at http://www.1bukitutama.com. my/.
Click on Residents Info � Events
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Our amenitiesOur amenitiesOur amenitiesOur amenities To familiarise you with the amenities at 1BU1BU offering various services within a stone’s throw from where you live.
In this issue, we feature Vinet MinimartC2-06-5, Vinet Minimart is open from 8am to 7pm on Monday to Saturday, closing on Sundaypublic holidays.
This mini market sells “halal” grocery items, ranging from fresh/frozen food (vegetables, eggs, bread, cream, milk, fish, chicken, frankfurters, nuggets, (biscuits, confectionery, sauces, vermicelli, of fresh food is available, you can place order by the following day. Vinet Minimart household items like detergents, healthcare products including shampoo, Petronas and Shell are sold in 14kg and 16kg cylinders. A trolley is provided for you to carry the cylinder to your car and unit, to be returned to the shop after use.
To familiarise you with the amenities at 1BU, we bring you the first part in our series on the shops at 1BU offering various services within a stone’s throw from where you live.
Vinet Minimart, owned by Dato’ Hassan and Datin Mariam.mart is open from 8am to 7pm on Monday to Saturday, closing on Sunday
grocery items, ranging from fresh/frozen food (vegetables, eggs, bread, fish, chicken, frankfurters, nuggets, “roti pratha”, etc) to packaged
vermicelli, noodles, mushrooms, cigarettes, etc). ou can place specific orders for fresh produce and the owners
Vinet Minimart is also a sundry shop providing, matches, cooking gas, cooking and cleaning utensils
shampoo, toiletries, aspirins and other basic medicine. Petronas and Shell are sold in 14kg and 16kg cylinders. A trolley is provided for you to carry the cylinder to your car and unit, to be returned to the shop after use.
Vinet Minimart
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first part in our series on the shops at
, owned by Dato’ Hassan and Datin Mariam. Located in unit mart is open from 8am to 7pm on Monday to Saturday, closing on Sundays and
grocery items, ranging from fresh/frozen food (vegetables, eggs, bread, ice etc) to packaged/bottled/dry food
etc). While a small quantity and the owners will fulfil your
is also a sundry shop providing you with your daily cooking and cleaning utensils as well as
and other basic medicine. Cooking gas from Petronas and Shell are sold in 14kg and 16kg cylinders. A trolley is provided for you to carry the cylinder
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We welcome the newest staff in our 1BU Management Office, Ibrahim bin Ariffin. Joining 1BU from 9BU as Building Executive in July 2014, he helps to fill the void when Rahman left us in June 2014. (This article is a translation from Bahasa Malaysia to English).
i-Care : Good morning, Ibrahim. Welcome to 1BU! How are you?
Ibrahim : Good morning. I’m fine, thanks. i-Care : Please tell me something about yourself and your family.
Ibrahim : I am 34 years old. I was born in Teluk Intan, Perak on 1
st April 1980. I’m married with
two children aged 6 and 11 years. I’m now staying in Rawang.
I spent my primary school years in Teluk Intan and then went to secondary school in Langkap. After that, I studied for two years in Institut Kemahiran Mara in Lumut, finishing in 2000 with a Certificate of Electrical Technology. I also obtained certification as an Electrician from Suruhanjaya Tenaga (Energy Commission). i-Care : When did you move to the Klang Valley?
Ibrahim : I travelled to KL in 2001 for my first job as a Site Supervisor for a contractor in Subang Jaya. I had to install, maintain and service tower cranes and passenger hoists.
After two years, I wanted to pursue something more challenging and moved from construction to building maintenance. I joined a large retailer at its large shopping complex cum head office as a Maintenance Manager, overseeing six people (chargemen, electricians and technicians) who worked two shifts.
At the same time, I began a part-time Chargeman (Grade A0*) Course in 2005 on my own time. This is an entry level grade which qualifies a Chargeman to work with electrical systems that are 1000 watts and below.
(*The various levels/grades for a Chargeman can be seen in the table at the end of this article.) i-Care : It must have been taxing when you try to balance work, studies and a family. How did you cope?
Ibrahim : It was very difficult, especially when I left the retailer after three years for a more challenging job at a theme park, looking after hydraulic and pneumatic pump systems and fountains. It was a trade off - I acquired more experience but did not have enough time to study.
However, getting the Chargeman Competency Certification was important to me. So I resigned and joined 9BU as an electrician and took night classes. After six months, I achieved my Grade A0 certification.
I was promoted to Building Supervisor in 9BU after two years. I was in 9BU for four years and then joined 1BU as Building Executive in July 2014. I now oversee four maintenance staff (electrician, technician, handyman, plumber), playing both supervisory and technical roles. i-Care : What is your daily routine at 1BU like?
Ibrahim : I start the day with a meeting with the staff to go through the work for the day and allocate job assignments according to urgency. After this, I follow up on pending service requests, make appointments to see owners/ residents concerned and ensure that the Service Request Forms (SRFs) are updated/completed. Then I go out to survey the condo and monitor the contractors to ensure that jobs go smoothly and according to specifications. For example, we had the gym enhancement recently. i-Care : What was the most challenging situation that you faced in your work life? What did you learn from this?
Ibrahim : For me, this was when a tower crane collapsed on site. When the tower was being erected, a technical mistake was made and the cable snapped, causing the crane to collapse. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the financial loss came up to several thousand ringgit. We had to dismantle the crane and erect a new one. I learned that we must be careful all the time. We must not take daily safety briefings for granted.
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i-Care : Which has been your most enjoyable posting?
Ibrahim : I have been with my current employer the longest. I like my current position as I am able to develop myself further to achieve higher levels of Chargeman certification from Suruhan-jaya Tenaga. (I plan to study for Chargeman A4 next year.) Technical wise, I still get to learn while I perform managerial functions. I can balance my work and family life. Family is important to me. I want to be able to provide the best for my family and to progress further in my career so that I’m better able to look after them. i-Care : What are you passionate about in life?
Ibrahim : I own a Yamaha XJ and love to ride with my friends. We do day trips usually on Sundays to places like Karak.
i-Care : Isn’t that a dangerous hobby because bikers often travel at high speed? Not long ago, the newspapers reported a fatal accident involving a speeding superbiker.
Ibrahim : Biking groups have to be disciplined and not race nor weave in and out along the highways. Each group usually has a marshall who ensures that members follow road safety rules. While biking can be high risk, I enjoy the camaraderie and information sharing amongst members. We talk about engines, safety features, cornering and other aspects of riding properly. i-Care : Is your next bike a Harley Davidson?
Ibrahim : No, I can’t think of expensive bikes yet as family comes first. i-Care : Thank you, Ibrahim for the nice chat. We wish you a long and successful career at 1BU, balanced with your family life and favourite pastime.
Announcement
Extraordinary General Meeting
The next EGM for unit owners and their proxies will be held at 3pm on 8th
March 2015 in the Clubhouse primarily to approve the budget for 2015. Minutes of the previous EGM held on 21
st
December 2014 is available to unit owners via login in our website at http://www.1bukitutama.com.my/ under Owners � Minutes of AGM/EGM.
Electricity Chargeman Levels Source: http://www.st.gov.my/index.php/applications/electricity/competent-persons/chargeman.html?id=101
Wishing you a happy and
prosperous Year
of the Goat
